Vidor mayoral candidate arrested for PI in Orange

Vidor city councilman and mayoral candidate Trey Haney could have trouble in his bid to replace incumbent Ken Crawford after a public intoxication arrest in Orange over the weekend.

According to a police report from the Orange Police Department, on Sunday, April 28, at 4:42 a.m., Officer Corey Foreman was dispatched to the south service road at the Adams Bayou Turnaround in reference to a vehicle parked in a lane of traffic there. Foreman reported he observed a red Chevrolet Tahoe parked in the outside lane of the Interstate 10 service road. At that time, Foreman reportedly made contact with a man who was sleeping in the driver’s seat of the SUV. The man woke up and identified himself as Haney, according to the report.

Foreman described Haney as “disoriented and confused.” Foreman reported when he asked Haney where he came from, he replied “the road,” and when asked if he knew where he was, stated “my house.” The officer then asked Haney to step out of the vehicle and walk toward the officer’s patrol car. Foreman reported Haney swayed while walking, and had glassy, bloodshot eyes. Foreman stated in the report that when speaking to the subject, he detected a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage and Haney’s speech was slow and slurred.

“Due to Haney’s poor balance, glassy bloodshot eyes, slow slurred speech and the odor of alcoholic beverage emitting from his person, I believed Haney was intoxicated. … I believe, if left alone, Haney would be a danger to himself or others.”

Haney was arrested for class C misdemeanor public intoxication and transported to the Orange County Jail. He was later released on $500 bond.

This was not Haney’s first arrest related to alcohol consumption. Haney was arrested July 25, 2009, for driving while intoxicated, a class B misdemeanor.

In an interview with The Examiner in 2011, Haney admitted he had done wrong but swore he had turned over a new leaf.

“I make mistakes like anybody else,” Haney said in 2011 regarding the DWI charge he faced in 2009. “Anybody who hasn’t made a mistake, they can go vote against me because of that. I regret it, and it’s never happened since.”

Following the weekend arrest, a call to Haney had not yet been returned as of May 1.

Sharon Brooks can be reached at (409) 832-1400, ext. 241, or by e-mail at sharon [at] theexaminer [dot] com.

While we harbor no disrespect for the Wall Street Journal who called us “that scrappy little paper from Southeast Texas,” we prefer to think of ourselves as simple seekers of the truth. We’re of the opinion that headlines and sound bites never tell the whole story. Our readers demand all the facts, facets and flavors of every story or event. And, they expect to be informed, educated and stirred to action.